In this episode we will explore the basics of the game, from its history to its rules and we will look a bit closer at how the game has made its way over to the UK.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Hello and welcome to Limitless, Rise of the Falcons.
00:25 I'm your host, Naoka, and in this show,
00:27 we will look at the amazing world of American football
00:29 through the eyes of the University of Kent's
00:31 very own team, the Falcons.
00:33 In this episode, we will explore the basics of the game,
00:36 from its history to its rules,
00:37 and we will look a bit closer
00:39 at how the game has made its way over to the UK.
00:41 First, let's take a look at how the game
00:44 of American football was born.
00:45 Daniel and Anu has more.
00:47 - American football, also known as gridiron football,
00:51 is the most popular sport in America,
00:54 watched by millions across the world.
00:56 But how did this sport, loved by so many,
00:59 touch down in the States?
01:01 - It started back in the 1860s,
01:05 and it was quite different to the sport we know today,
01:08 and it was basically inspired by
01:11 what would be British football and rugby at the time.
01:15 Rules had to be kind of put together.
01:16 First game, famously, was Rutgers against Princeton,
01:19 and the game was basically born in American colleges,
01:22 where it still thrives today.
01:25 But it wasn't until the Yale medical student,
01:27 halfback and team captain, Walter Camp,
01:30 took the game and reinvented it
01:32 towards its more modern form.
01:33 - Yeah, I mean, he's the father of American football,
01:36 basically.
01:37 He's the one that, the basics that we have right now,
01:41 he's the one that set that.
01:43 And you don't usually get a situation
01:45 where with such a major sport
01:48 that you can point to one person and say,
01:49 it wouldn't really exist if not for him.
01:53 So the whole thing of having to get a first down,
01:57 having a set number of downs, that's him.
01:59 The lines, the lines that were done, he did it all.
02:03 - In the early 1900s, there was a large number of athletes
02:07 which in turn created bidding wars and rising salaries
02:10 due to the demand of desirable players.
02:13 As a result of all of this,
02:14 the American Professional Football Association
02:16 was created in order to regulate player transfers.
02:20 In 1922, the association changed its name
02:22 to something many people today will recognize,
02:25 the National Football League or the NFL.
02:28 - You've got, the league was created
02:31 because a bunch of businessmen got together
02:33 in a car showroom and had a conversation about,
02:36 we can make money from this in theory.
02:38 There were a lot of young men who wanted to keep playing
02:41 and there were a lot of people who thought,
02:43 okay, well, let's organize this.
02:44 And we could get people to pay to watch some college stars
02:48 because it was big business in college.
02:50 And George Hallis, who owned and ran the Chicago Bears
02:55 up until his death in the early '80s,
02:58 he was the main driver behind getting the NFL
03:02 off the ground.
03:03 He really wanted to keep playing.
03:05 He actually was also playing baseball.
03:07 He was part of the New York Yankees,
03:09 but he wanted to play American football.
03:11 That was his love.
03:14 If not for George Hallis, we wouldn't have the NFL.
03:17 - Today, the NFL has 32 teams split equally
03:21 into two conferences, the National Football Conference
03:23 and the American Football Conference.
03:25 Both conferences are then divided by regions
03:28 to comprise four divisions with four teams each.
03:31 The regions are North, East, South and West.
03:34 - As the years have gone on, the playoff has expanded
03:37 and more teams would get into the playoffs,
03:39 especially as the league got bigger.
03:42 The structure has, in theory, stayed the same
03:44 in that you have divisions within the conference,
03:47 winning your division is gonna get you into the playoffs,
03:50 and then you start to have wildcard teams
03:51 so it wasn't just the division winners.
03:53 And then it is a bracket through to having an AFC champion
03:57 and NFC champion who meet in the Super Bowl.
04:00 - The history of American football is one that comes
04:07 with twists, turns and hurdles, but the fan base
04:10 and popularity of the sport continues
04:12 to expand rapidly across the world.
04:13 - Now that we have a better idea
04:17 of how the game came to be,
04:18 let's have a little look at the uniform.
04:20 It's important to teams because it establishes conformity
04:23 and protects players on the field.
04:25 The jersey has the player's number
04:28 on the front and the back.
04:29 Occasionally, a last name is also written on the back
04:32 to personalise the garment.
04:34 The physical design of the helmet
04:35 and the amount of padding has evolved from a leather cap
04:38 to what we are familiar with today.
04:40 Padding for shoulders, upper chest, thighs and knees
04:43 is worn under the jersey,
04:45 and the trousers are skin tight and cut at the knee.
04:48 Cleats are a low top lace shoe
04:50 that can be worn in multiple colours
04:52 and have simple or detailed designs.
04:54 Now that we understand the uniform of the game,
04:58 let's dive into the rules of American football.
05:01 - American football is a game played on a 100 yard field.
05:05 The game is played by two teams of 11 players,
05:08 one of offense, the other defenders,
05:10 who usually kick off the game with a coin toss,
05:12 playing four 15 minute quarters.
05:14 Each team is allowed three timeouts.
05:17 Like any other game,
05:18 the team that scores the most points within the time wins.
05:21 The aim of the game is to move the ball
05:22 into the opponent's end zone, scoring a touchdown.
05:25 Each player begins at the line of scrimmage,
05:37 an imaginary boundary setting the stage
05:39 for the battle ahead.
05:41 A touchdown can be achieved
05:43 by moving the ball down the field
05:44 in a series of plays or down,
05:46 from either passing the ball
05:47 from the quarterback to the receiver,
05:49 or by running back, rushing the ball along the ground.
05:51 They have four plays to move the ball 10 yards
05:54 in order to keep possession of the ball
05:56 and earn another four down,
05:57 driving the ball to the end zone.
05:59 But it's not just about touchdowns.
06:02 The field goal adds three points
06:03 when the ball sails through the opponent's goalpost.
06:06 An extra point is earned by kicking the ball
06:08 through the uprights after a touchdown.
06:10 Two points are earned by taking the ball
06:12 into the end zone again.
06:13 Safety is worth two points and is awarded
06:16 if the defensive team tackle a member of the other team
06:18 with the ball in their own end zone.
06:21 Keep an eye out for the game-changing moves.
06:23 An interception is when the defense grabs
06:25 or catches the ball in the air or through a pass.
06:28 And a fumble is when a team loses possession
06:30 during a play and the ball touches the ground.
06:32 When possession needs to be surrendered,
06:34 the punt kicks the ball into the opposing team,
06:37 altering the game's dynamic.
06:39 American football, being a high-contact sport,
06:41 means there needs to be a delicate balance
06:43 between the offense and defense,
06:44 leading to a multitude of rules governing equality,
06:47 safety, and player actions.
06:49 To address the inevitable rule violations,
06:51 an intricate system of fouls and penalties
06:53 ensures fairness and game flow.
06:55 Players often seek advantages within the rule boundaries,
06:58 while coaches strive to minimize infractions,
07:01 recognizing their impact on the game's outcome.
07:03 American football involves a team of things,
07:06 such as passing, running, and strategic plays,
07:08 to outsmart the opposing team's defense,
07:11 to ultimately secure a win.
07:12 These vital components define the exhilarating sport
07:15 known as American football.
07:16 - Now, let's get a better understanding
07:20 of how the sport has worked its way into the UK.
07:22 Jack Darkin spoke with some American football experts
07:25 to get a better idea of how the game
07:27 has made its impact in the UK,
07:29 starting with asking Simon Carroll,
07:31 the founder of website The Touchdown,
07:33 what he believed to be the biggest influence of the game
07:36 making its way over here.
07:38 - I think since Sky Sports took it on, really,
07:41 I think that was a big factor in it.
07:43 Obviously, the sport is growing in America all the time,
07:45 so that helps.
07:46 And they've done a lot of work
07:48 with the international series,
07:49 which I'm sure we'll discuss,
07:51 to widen eyes on their sport.
07:54 They've slowly but surely grown their coverage of it.
07:56 They've even got a whole channel dedicated to it now.
07:58 There's games on from six o'clock on Sunday night
08:03 until early hours of the morning.
08:04 There's one on Monday night, there's one on Thursday night.
08:07 Every aspect of the sport is covered now,
08:09 which is incredible.
08:11 So I think with that growth, more people watch it,
08:13 more people enjoy it.
08:14 The more they enjoy it,
08:15 the more Sky will put more money into it and show it.
08:17 They'll do fan events.
08:19 I think the more that it's on TV,
08:21 the more that people have eyes on it,
08:22 the more that's gonna happen.
08:24 - I also spoke with Rob Statton
08:25 about how American football is changing the culture
08:28 of British sports and what it might mean
08:29 for some of England's oldest games.
08:31 - More and more people are becoming addicted to it.
08:34 And my prediction is that I don't know
08:36 whether it's gonna happen in the next five years,
08:39 but certainly I think within 10 years,
08:41 while you see the financial struggles
08:43 of county cricket in this country,
08:45 while you see teams going bust
08:47 in the Rugby Union Premiership,
08:50 I genuinely think there's a chance
08:52 that American football could end up being
08:55 the second most popular sport in the country
08:57 after English football.
08:58 - In recent years, NFL teams have touched down in London
09:01 to play matches at some of England's
09:03 most iconic football stadiums,
09:05 such as the home of football at Wembley
09:07 and the newly renovated Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
09:10 From college and university level,
09:11 all the way up to NFL teams coming over
09:13 and playing in London,
09:15 American football fever has really caught on
09:17 with many Brits.
09:18 - And finally, it's time for Tony Teaches,
09:22 where each week we will learn a fundamental manoeuvre
09:24 of the game from the member of Kent's Falcon team
09:27 and our resident running back, Tony Mazzanichita.
09:30 - Hello and welcome to this week's Tony Teaches.
09:33 Earlier this week, I sat down with Ben Crabb
09:36 and got an insight into the Kent Falcons running back.
09:38 - Well, thank you for coming.
09:40 What made you choose American football?
09:42 - So I was introduced to the sport by a friend
09:44 and he said I had the build for a running back.
09:47 Took me to go watch the Super Bowl,
09:48 the Woodies, watched it,
09:49 and from that moment onwards, I was like,
09:52 I am going to play running back,
09:53 I'm gonna play American football.
09:54 - And how would you say the sport has impacted you
09:56 ever since you started playing?
09:57 - It's taught me a lot of discipline,
09:59 it's a lot of self-discipline,
10:00 'cause you really have to take care of yourself
10:02 to play the sport and also when you are running back
10:04 and you're learning plays and memorising everything,
10:06 you have to stay on top of it
10:07 because obviously you are responsible
10:08 for an element of a play.
10:10 - What are your plans after university
10:11 and do you have any aspirations to go further in the sport?
10:14 - So aspirations-wise, potentially after uni,
10:17 I do wanna become a full-time software engineer,
10:19 that's what my degree is,
10:20 but I also have plans on potentially going into GB
10:23 or playing for the GFL, ELF,
10:25 they are like the European equivalent of the NFL.
10:28 And yeah, I'm just gonna keep trying different things
10:31 and different pathways until the walls fall off.
10:33 - Thank you for coming on, Ben,
10:34 and good luck to the youth for the rest of the season.
10:36 After our chat, we took off to the field
10:38 to demonstrate the ever so important handoff
10:41 between the quarterback and the running back.
10:43 Now, let's break it down.
10:45 Firstly, as the running back,
10:46 you want to be in a balanced stance,
10:48 then once the ball is snapped to the QB,
10:50 you wanna take off towards the quarterback
10:52 with your closest arm up towards the quarterback
10:54 with your elbow pointing at him,
10:56 and with your other arm, you want to create a cradle
10:58 and wait for the QB to put the ball on your belly.
11:01 As the QB, when you're performing the handoff,
11:03 you wanna step outside with your foot
11:05 in the direction of the run play
11:06 and place the ball on the running back's belly firmly.
11:09 It's important for the running back to wait for the QB
11:11 to place the ball on his belly,
11:13 so if the QB wants to pull away the ball
11:15 and perform a fake run, they can easily take it away,
11:17 and the running back can trick the defense
11:19 into thinking they have the ball.
11:20 Now, that's how to perform the perfect handoff,
11:23 and I shouldn't be seeing any of you at home
11:25 fumbling the ball.
11:26 That's all we have time for this week.
11:27 Catch you next week on Tony Teaches.
11:31 - Well, we've reached the end zone on today's episode.
11:34 Hopefully you've gained an insight
11:35 into how American football is played.
11:38 Catch us next week for a brand new episode
11:40 where we'll look a little closer at the Falcons
11:42 and how the team is progressing through the season
11:44 and their expectations for the future.
11:46 See you then, bye.
11:47 (upbeat music)
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12:00 (upbeat music)
12:02 you
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